In Your Garage

August '09

Feature Article from Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car

August, 2009

Meeting the maker
Back in 1984, John Campbell and his youngest son, Rob, had the pleasure of meeting Donald Healey at a Healey meet in Cottage Grove, Oregon, where the Campbells were showing their 1956 Austin-Healey 100M. "I asked him, out of all of the cars that he had been involved with over the years, what was his favorite? His reply was 'The Sprite--because it gives so much fun for the money'," John said. "Interesting, isn't it--of all the wonderful cars, that's the one he picked and why."

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The second photo, taken 20 years later, shows the Healey under the cherry blossoms after its restoration. "We bought the car in Sisters, Oregon, in April of 1980 from the second and fifth owner of the car, Mr. Scott Redfield, who at one time had a dealership called the Auto Shop in Portland, Oregon," John said. "From the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, we know that the car's birthday was March 12, 1956."
Green Machine
"I'm 53, have been a car guy since about age six. My first car was a Fiat 850 Spider bought with $500 worth of paper-route money," writes David Lyman of Lake Forest Park, Washington.
Forty-three cars later (including an assortment of Bugeyes, TR3s, a Jag 420, a Datsun 510, Mercedes and Porsches), David turned his sights on "a simpler toy," this 1976 BMW 2002. "It's the only car I've ever bought through eBay, and it helped me learn the value of personal inspection before settling on price," he warns.
It is, however, an excellent, rust-free, fully rebuilt car, tight and quick. "As they say, the car can't be driven without eliciting smiles and waves. And it does get the best parking spot at our house, leaving our turbo Volvo 850 wagon and turbo Beetle to sit and grumble."

This article originally appeared in the August, 2009 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car.